Redemption and Revenge
by The Retired Keiya Tenpouin
Summary: (Based on The BOOK, not the movie, slightly AU) When Brom Bones rides to get back to his and Katrina's house late one night, he'll face judgement from a few years ago for his childish pranks from his most famous victom and the victom's new friend.........


Redemption and Revenge by Keiya Tenpouin  
  
  
  
Based on The BOOK Sleepy Hallow, not the movie.  
  
Synopsis - When Brom Bones rides to get back to his and Katrina's home one night, he'll face judgement for his actions a few years ago from the victom of his childish pranks and the victom's new friend........  
  
A/N - One quick note. I cannot stress this enough, It is based on the ACTUAL STORY by Washington Irving (or "found in the pages of the late Diedrich Knickerbocker", whichever you prefer. Not by some Hollywood screen play writer.) Oh, and one more thing. Ichabod Crane never made it to New York, he just disappeared off the face of the Earth. (That is not in the original story, but to make it work here, he is. Call it an alternate universe if you must.) And to be honest, I'm not keeping a secret, Ichabod is dead. But how, is the question.....  
  
  
  
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Brom Bones, as he liked to be called, was on his way home from a night of glorious pranking of travellers with his group of friends. He never got tired of pegging poor people, who were travelling in the dark of night with eggs (he had very good aim in the dark), or taking advantage of Sleepy Hallow's reputation of numerous hauntings. Tonight, he used the tale of Major Andre (the pour soul in Benedict Arnold's divison of the British Army.) to scare off a few visitors.  
  
And the residents of Sleepy Hallow that saw, or knew about this just smiled, shook their heads and said "Oh, that Brom Bones and his gang.". They did this because Brom Bones was a hero in a way to almost everyone in Sleepy Hallow. He also managed to take the hand of the young, beautiful Katrina Van Tassel in marrage.  
  
It had been a few years since the disappearence of the schoolteacher Ichabod Crane. He had been rejected by the lovely Katrina on that fateful night. And on his way to old Hans Van Ripper's home, he was attacked by the Headless Horseman; The wandering Hessian Solder forever in search for his head. He was never seen, or heard from again in Sleepy Hallow.  
  
But that was years ago, and the people of the small town had all but forgotten the unfortunate schoolmaster.  
  
That is, until this night.  
  
As it was stated before, Brom Bones was on his way home fom playing his usual practial jokes. It was the darkest part of the night, and Brom had every intention of going home and climbing into bed with his beautiful wife.  
  
But just for kicks, he took the path of the Horseman.  
  
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Brom and his horse, Gunpowder, were walking slowly past the chapel and it's graveyard. For some reason, he had this feeling of dread in his stomach.  
  
"Hmmm.....I feel.....fear???? No, impossible. The tale of the Hessian is only a tale! I only made it real for one night to scare that wimp Crane out of town!!!!!!!! It's not my fault they didn't find his pathetic body......"  
  
He felt a sharp, chilling wind hit his skin.  
  
And a voice.  
  
".....So you admit it....."  
  
He turned around, and looked to all sides. Seeing nothing but trees, a church, and tombstones.  
  
"WHO'S THERE!!!!! COME OUT COWARD AND FACE ME!!!!!!!!"  
  
But all he heard in that wind was psalms being sung.  
  
".....It can't be....I'm not gonna stick around to find out."  
  
He kicked Gunpowder in the ribs, signaling him to go as fast as the wind. Which the steed did, gracefully.  
  
He just knew he had to get out of there.  
  
But, he heard the voice again.  
  
"......That's right, run. Run and never look back on your crimes Brom Bones......"  
  
He didn't know what he ment, but he was stupid enough to look back.  
  
And he saw a hooded spectre on a horse.  
  
Now, he was scared.  
  
_____________  
  
The chase was on. The Horseman was on the heals of Bones and Gundpowder. Brom was no longer the cool, collected hero everyone in town looked up to, but he was panicing, scared, and filled to the brim with dread.  
  
Then he remembered the story he told to the men on that one night. The one where he and this spectre raced for a bowl of punch. And when he got to the bridge, the ghost disappeared into a ring of fire. Of course it was a lie, except for the last part. At least, he hoped so.  
  
He had to get to the bridge.  
  
Unluckly for him, the bridge was about a half of a mile away from his current spot, and the Headless Horeseman was gaining on him quickly. Also, he was a nervous wreck, and Gunpowder was just as scared as is owner.  
  
But they kept on, with the deadly ghost on their tails.  
  
And the voice spoke again.  
  
".........Who's the coward now???? Now you know how I felt........."  
  
But half of a mile passes by quickly when your horse is running as faster than it has ever ran, and you have a ghost that wants to kill you behind you. The bridge was coming up.  
  
And the Headless Horseman was slowing down to a stop.  
  
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Brom felt his ego swell to the brim.  
  
"HA! I'VE PROVED THAT I CAN DEFEAT, ANYONE!!! INCLUDING THE HESSIAN!!!!!!!!!"  
  
"......Is that so????...."  
  
He turned around and saw a tall, lank man on a horse as dark as night. The man had a sadistic look on his face, and a blue-ish aura around him.  
  
And Brom Bones looked as pale as a corpse.  
  
It was Ichabod Crane. Guarding the bridge, with a musket pointed at Brom Bones.  
  
Brom came to a complete stop a foot before Ichabod and his steed. The Horseman had stopped a few feet before.  
  
"Crane??? I thought you were in New York!!!"  
  
"No. I died. Remember back to that day. You threw that pumpkin, which collieded with my head. It caused me to fall off my horse. I landed on my head, breaking my neck and spine. I was in immense pain, and I couldn't move. I died within minutes. Soon after, the Hessian came and carried my spirit away with him. For his actions, I joined him in search of his head. I had found this horse on the way. Like it? I can him Raven, after that famous poem. "Quoth the Raven, Nevermore!", that one. But your probably too much of an ignoramous to remember that. Anyways, The Hessian and I found his head soon after. But we continue to haunt this place still. I've been looking for revenge for what you have done."  
  
"No......"  
  
"It was bad enough Katrina turned down my courtship and turned me away for a man like you, but what you have done after........." You could almost see tears in the eyes of the ghost, "......is something I cannot forgive.."  
  
Now, Brom was begging for his life.  
  
"Ichabod, please!!!!! It was all in good fun!!! I never ment to hurt you...I just wanted Katrina!!! I never ment for this to happen!!!"  
  
But Ichabod, nor the horseman would hear any of it. As both horses carrying their respective spectres began running at him.  
  
"Good fun to you was humilitation to me!!!!!!! Now pay for your unforgivable deeds, Brom Bones!!!!!!"  
  
Brom was too scared to do anything, as he notice Ichabod pull out a sword of some sort. He could hear the Horseman do the same.  
  
All he could do was scream, causing the nearby birds, mainly bluejays, seagulls, and a raven flew away in terror to the sound of his voice.  
  
______  
  
The next day, Sleepy Hallow was in a panic.  
  
Mainly because Brom Bones had just vanished.  
  
The End.  
  
_______  
  
I hoped you liked it. I tried to stay true to the book as much as possible. Well, thanks for reading. 


End file.
